TalkToTheManager is a customer feedback service, and we deal with routing customer comments to management all day (and all night) long. But we do it digitally. Businesses sign up to use our service, and we provide a unique phone number that customers can text their comments to in order to communicate with the business. That way customers and management communicate privately in real-time.
We replace traditional paper comment cards with a completely digital option that is much more convenient for business owners and their customers.
So it surprised us when we received a comment card in the mail. It was addressed to us, but the name of the hotel where the customer had stayed was on the address line. Even though the card suggested leaving the card at the front desk at checkout, this kind patron had put a stamp on it and put it in the mail, with our address. Even though the card wasn't meant to be mailed. The hotel is in Louisiana, almost 2,000 miles away from us up here in Washington state.
We didn't read the card. It was private feedback. We wanted to keep it that way.
We altered and scrambled the logo and the customer info for privacy.
We don't know how the customer determined we were the appropriate business to send it to. Perhaps they Googled "comment card" or "talk to the manager".
In any case, we contacted the hotel and emailed them photos of the front and back of the card so they could get in touch with the customer. We emailed photos so that they wouldn't have to wait a few days to receive it. It had already been over a week since the customer had stayed at the hotel. We didn't want to delay any turnaround in getting back to the customer to address issues.
Comment cards have a lot of problems. If you'd like immediate feedback from your customer, in an anonymous way, but with the ability to respond to the customer while they are still on-premises, give TalkToTheManager a try.